The present invention relates in general to combination type latching devices adapted for application to receptacles or containers, such as sliding desk drawers and the like, to enable locking of the desk drawer or receptacle in closed position, and more particularly to locking mechanisms for desk drawers and the like having a plurality of rotatable combination dial members incorporated therein adapted to be individually set to a predetermined combination of dial numbers together with a fence member controlled locking bolt and a locking lever for moving the locking bolt between locking and unlocking positions and for conditioning the combination dial members to have their combinations changed.
Combination locks have been used for many years in a wide variety of locking applications, but such combination locks have predominately been of relatively complex and expensive construction, most commonly involving a plurality of peripherally gated tumbler wheels operated from a single dial. Such conventional combination locks, because of their size, expense of manufacture, and complex construction, have been frequently considered unsuitable for cost limited applications such as desk drawers and similar furniture drawers, luggage cases, and similar applications. In many of such drawer or sliding receptacle type applications, it is desirable to have a central locking mechanism disposed at a location substantially midway along the front panel or wall of the drawer, to control a vertically movable bolt member which may be extended into a stationary keeper recess or retracted from the keeper for locking and unlocking the drawer.
An object of the present invention is the provision of a novel combination lock mechanism for desk drawers, furniture drawers, and similar receptacle applications, wherein a simple combination lock mechanism of compact construction involving a plurality of combination dial members made up of directly positionable dial wheels and associated hub members which may be decoupled therefrom for changing the combination is provided, which is relatively simple in construction lending itself to less expensive manufacture, and which provides a novel structural arrangement and mechanism to achieve unlocking and combination change.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel combination lock mechanism of the type described in the immediately preceding paragraph, to provide a significantly simplified type of combination lock mechanism suitable for less costly applications such as desk or furniture drawers, jewelry boxes, storage boxes for valuables, and similar applications, wherein a novel tiltable fence structure is associated with a movable bolt member and a control lever accessible from the front of the lock to control locking and unlocking of the bolt member and conditioning of the dial wheels in a combination change mode upon predetermined manipulation of the control lever.
Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.